Luton Town F.C.

Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town F.C. badge
Full name Luton Town Football Club
Nickname(s) The Hatters
Founded 11 April 1885
(Merger of Wanderers and Excelsior)
Ground Kenilworth Road
Luton
(Capacity: 10,226[1][2])
Chairman Nick Owen
Manager Richard Money[3]
League Conference National
2009–10 Conference National, 2nd[4]
Home colours
Away colours
Third colours
Current season

Luton Town Football Club (pronounced /ˈluːtən ˈtaʊn/) is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club is competing in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the second consecutive season during the 2010–11 season.

Formed in 1885, it was the first club in southern England to turn professional, making payments to players as early as 1890 and turning fully professional a year later. It did not reach the top division of English football until 1955–56, and did not reach a major final until the 1959 FA Cup Final. Relegated from the top division in 1959–60, the team was demoted twice more in the following five years, reaching the Fourth Division for the 1965–66 season, before being promoted back to the top level by 1974–75.

Luton Town's most recent successful period began in 1981–82, when the club won the Second Division and was promoted to the First Division. Winning the League Cup in 1987–88 with a 3–2 win over Arsenal, Luton remained a First Division club until relegation in 1991–92 signalled the end of major success. More recently, financial difficulties have caused the club to fall, in just three years, from the second tier of English football to the fifth, ending its 89-year spell as a member of The Football League.

Contents

History

Luton Town Football Club was formed on 11 April 1885, the product of a merger of the two leading local teams, Luton Town Wanderers and Excelsior.[5][6] Initially based at Excelsior's Dallow Lane ground,[6] the club moved to Dunstable Road in 1897.[7] In 1890, the club began making payments to certain individual players. The following year, Luton became the first club in southern England to be fully professional.[8]

Luton Town was a founder member of the Southern Football League in 1894, and, after finishing as runners-up in its first two seasons, the team left to help form the United League.[4] In the league's inaugural season the club came second, before joining The Football League for 1897–98.[4] The club continued to enter a team to the United League for two more seasons, and won the title in 1897–98.[4][9] Poor attendance, high wages, and the high travel and accommodation costs that resulted from Luton's distance from the northern heartlands of The Football League crippled the club financially,[9] and made it too expensive to compete in that league.[9] A return to the regionally organised Southern League was therefore arranged for the 1900–01 season.[4][9]

Eight years after arriving at Dunstable Road, Luton moved again, settling at their current ground, Kenilworth Road, in 1905.[8] Captain and left winger Bob Hawkes became Luton's first international player when he was picked to play for England against Ireland on 16 February 1907.[10] A poor 1911–12 season saw Luton relegated to the Southern League's Second Division, but the club managed to win promotion back two years later.[4][11] When war broke out, the schedule was reduced to a series of friendlies, but Luton took part in The London Combination for 1915–16.[12][13] A key player of the period was Ernie Simms, a forward. Simms was wounded while serving in Italy in the First World War,[11][13] but returned to score 40 goals during the following season.[11]

A black-and-white newspaper photograph: taken from behind the goalkeeper's left-hand goalpost, a football is pictured on the right-hand side, in the foreground; an association football player in a white shirt and black shorts is seen on the left-hand side.
1936: Joe Payne (white shirt, left) scores one of his record-breaking 10 goals in one match

The Luton side first played in the white and black colours which the club has retained for much of its history during the 1920–21 season, when they rejoined The Football League;[14] until then, the players had worn sky blue shirts with white shorts and navy socks.[15] Such was the quality of Luton's team at this time that despite playing in the third tier, a fixture between Ireland and England at Windsor Park on 22 October 1921 saw three Luton players on the pitch – Louis Bookman and Allan Mathieson for Ireland, and club top goalscorer Simms for England.[16][17] However, after Luton finished fourth in the division, the squad was broken up as Simms, Bookman and Mathieson joined South Shields, Port Vale and Exeter City respectively.[17][18] Luton stayed in the Third Division South until 1937, when the team finished top and won promotion to the Second Division, at that time the second tier of English football.[19] During the promotion season, striker Joe Payne scored 55 goals in 39 games; during the previous season he had scored 10 in one match against Bristol Rovers, which remains a Football League record as of 2009.[20]

During the early 1950s, one of Luton's greatest sides[21] emerged under manager Dally Duncan.[22] The team included Gordon Turner, who went on to become Luton's all-time top goalscorer,[23] Bob Morton, who holds the record for the most club appearances,[24] and Syd Owen, an England international.[25] During this period, Luton sides also featured two England international goalkeepers, Ron Baynham and Bernard Streten,[26][27] as well as Irish internationals Seamus Dunne,[28] Tom Aherne and George Cummins.[29][30] This team reached the top-flight for the first time in 1955–56, after finishing the season in second place behind Birmingham City on goal average.[31] A few years of success followed, including an FA Cup Final appearance against Nottingham Forest in 1959;[32] at the end of the season, Owen was voted FWA Footballer of the Year.[33] However, the club was relegated the following season, and, by 1965, was playing in the fourth tier.[34]

In yo-yo club fashion, Luton were to return. A team including Bruce Rioch, John Moore and Graham French won the Fourth Division championship in 1967–68 under the leadership of former player Allan Brown;[4] two years later Malcolm Macdonald's goals helped them to another promotion,[35] while comedian Eric Morecambe became a director of the club.[35] Luton Town won promotion back to the First Division in 1973–74, but were relegated the following season by a solitary point.[4][36] Former player David Pleat was made manager in 1978, and by 1982–83 the team was back in the top-flight.[4] On the last day of the club's first season back in the top tier, the side narrowly escaped relegation: playing Manchester City at Maine Road, Luton needed to win to stay up, while City could escape with a draw.[37] A late winner by Yugoslav Raddy Antić saved the team and prompted Pleat to dance across the pitch performing a "jig of joy",[37] an image that has become iconic.[38] The club achieved its highest ever league position, seventh, in 1987,[39] and won the League Cup a year later with a 3–2 win over Arsenal. With ten minutes left on the clock and Arsenal 2–1 ahead, a penalty save from stand-in goalkeeper Andy Dibble sparked a late Luton rally: Danny Wilson equalised, before Brian Stein scored the winner with the last kick of the match.[4][40][41] The club reached the League Cup Final once more in 1989, but lost 3–1 to Nottingham Forest.[4]

A crowd of men, some wearing grey suits and some wearing white shirts, navy shorts and white socks, celebrate raucously on a podium. An open bottle of champagne is visible in front of them, spiralling through the air as if somebody has thrown it.
Luton Town players and staff celebrate winning the Football League Trophy in 2009

The club was relegated from the top division at the end of the 1991–92 season,[4] and sank to the third tier four years later.[4][42] Luton stayed in the third-tier Second Division until relegation at the end of the 2000–01 season.[43] Under the management of Joe Kinnear, who had arrived halfway through the previous season,[44] the team won promotion from the fourth tier at the first attempt.[4] "Controversial"[45] owner John Gurney unsettled the club in 2003,[45] terminating Kinnear's contract on his arrival in May;[45][46] Gurney replaced Kinnear with Mike Newell before leaving Luton as the club entered administration.[45][47] Newell's team finished as champions of the third-tier Football League One in 2004–05.[4][48] While Newell's place was taken by first Kevin Blackwell and later former player Mick Harford,[49][50] the team was then relegated twice in a row, starting in 2006–07, and spent the latter part of the 2007–08 season in administration, thus incurring a ten-point deduction from that season's total.[4][51] The club then had a total of 30 points docked from its 2008–09 record by The Football Association and The Football League for various financial irregularities.[52] These deductions proved to be too large an obstacle to overcome,[53] but Luton came from behind in the final of the Football League Trophy to win the competition for the first time.[54] Relegation meant that 2009–10 saw Luton playing in the Conference National, a competition which the club had never before contested.

Club identity
The white and black combination was first used between 1920 and 1973.
A change for 1973–74 saw Luton run out in an orange and navy outfit.

The club's nickname, the Hatters, reflects the town's historical connection with the hat making trade, which has been prominent in Luton since the 17th century.[55][56] The nickname was originally a variant on the now rarely seen Straw-plaiters.[57]

The club is strongly associated with two very different colour schemes. For most of its history, Luton players have worn white shirts, black shorts, and either white or black socks, permanently adopted in 1920.[15] Before then they had mainly worn a combination of light blue and white.[15] In 1973, Luton changed to orange and navy, a completely new colour scheme, to make Luton Town more recognisable.[15] However, six years later Luton returned to playing in white, although the orange and navy motif remained as trim;[15] navy shorts were adopted in 1984.[15] Luton kept those colours until 1999–2000, when they spent a season in orange and blue,[15] and for 2000–01 white and black returned, albeit with orange still present.[15] A simple white and black outfit finally returned in the 2007–08 season,[15] but in the summer of 2008 a poll of fans was taken, and the decision was taken to return to the white, navy and orange palette favoured during the club's most successful years.[15][58] The club changed colours yet again in 2009, introducing a scheme of orange shirts, white shorts and orange socks.[59]

See accompanying text
Luton Town badge, 1973–87

Originally, Luton Town used the town's crest as its own in a manner similar to many other teams of the time; all but one of the badges in Luton Town's history have included the town crest.[15] The club did not adopt its own crest until 1973, concurrently with its switch to the orange kit, when a new badge was adopted featuring the club's new colours. The new emblem depicted a stylised orange football, bearing the letters "Lt", surrounded by the club's name in navy blue text.[15] The change was significant, as it was the first time the club had attempted to establish its own independent identity – previously, the identity of the town had doubled as that of the club.[15] In 1987 the club switched back to a derivative of the town emblem, with the shield portion of the heraldic crest becoming the team's badge; the only similarity with the previous design was the inclusion of the club name around the shield in navy blue.[15] The "rainbow" badge, introduced in 1994, featured the town crest below an orange and blue bow which curved around to meet two footballs, positioned on either side of the shield. The design was completed by a continuation of the orange and blue lines below the shield, with the club name across them in white.[15] This badge was used until 2005, when a replacement very similar to the 1987 version was adopted, featuring black text rather than blue and a straw boater in place of the outstretched arm depicted in the older design. The club's founding year, 1885, was added in 2008 to complete the design.[15] The badge was altered once more a year later, as a more traditional look was settled upon for the 2009–10 season.[60]

The first sponsor to appear on a Luton Town shirt was Tricentrol, a local motor company based in Dunstable, who sponsored the club from March 1980 to 1982; the deal was worth £50,000, a sum equal to £160,000 in 2009.[61][62] Subsequent sponsors have been Bedford Trucks (1982 to 1990), Vauxhall (1990 to 1991), Universal Salvage Auctions (1991 to 1999), SKF (1999 to 2003), Travel Extras (2003 to 2005), Electrolux (2005 to 2008) and Carbrini Sportswear (2008 to 2009).[15] NICEIC and EasyJet agreed sponsorship deals before the 2009–10 season, for one and two years respectively.[63]

Stadia

An old-fashioned association football stadium. On the left a large wooden grandstand is visible, filled with blue seats; straight ahead, a smaller stand is seen, also with blue seats. On the latter stand, the word "LUTON" is spelled out in white seats among the blue.
The view from the Kenilworth End in 2007. To the left is the Main Stand, and to the right is the Oak Road End.

Luton Town's first ground was at Dallow Lane, the former ground of Excelsior.[6] The ground was next to the Dunstable to Luton train line, and players regularly claimed to have trouble seeing the ball because of smoke from the trains.[7] A damaging financial loss during 1896–97 forced Luton to sell the stadium to stay afloat, and as a result the club moved across the tracks to a stadium between the railway and Dunstable Road.[7] The Dunstable Road ground was opened by the Duke of Bedford, who also donated £50 towards the £800 building costs.[7] When the site was sold for housing in 1905, the club was forced to move again at short notice,[7] to its present Kenilworth Road site, in time for the start of the 1905–06 season.[7][8]

The 10,226 capacity all-seater stadium is in the Bury Park area of Luton,[2] and named after the road that runs along one end of it, although the official address of the club is 1 Maple Road. Opposite the eponymous Kenilworth Stand is the Oak Road End, once favoured by Luton supporters but now for away fans only. The Main Stand is flanked by the David Preece Stand, and opposite them stands a row of executive boxes. These boxes replaced the Bobbers Stand in 1986, as the club sought to maximise income.[64]

See accompanying text
Luton Town's average home league attendances at Kenilworth Road since 1946–47 – attendances rose with Luton's promotion in 1955 before plummeting during the early 1960s as the club suffered three relegations. Spectators returned with the promotions of the late 1960s.

The original Main Stand burnt down in 1921, and was replaced by the current stand before the 1922–23 campaign. The ground underwent extensive redevelopment during the 1930s, and the capacity by the start of the Second World War was 30,000. Floodlights were installed before the 1953–54 season, but it was 20 years before any further modernisation was carried out. In 1973 the Bobbers Stand became all-seated, and in 1985 the grass pitch was replaced with an artificial playing surface; it quickly became unpopular and was derided as "the plastic pitch".[17][64][65][66]

A serious incident involving hooliganism before, during, and after a match against Millwall in 1985 caused the club's then chairman, Conservative MP David Evans, to introduce a scheme effective from the start of 1986–87 banning all visiting supporters from the ground, and requiring home fans to carry identity cards when attending matches.[67] Conversion to an all-seater ground also began in 1986.[64] Away fans returned for 1990–91,[68] and grass a year later.[69] The David Preece Stand was erected in 1991, but the conversion of the Kenilworth Stand to an all-seater was not fully completed until 2005.[64]

New stadium

The club has made several attempts to relocate, and first stated its intent to do so in 1955.[31] Even then Kenilworth Road was small compared to rival stadia, and its location ruled out significant redevelopment.[31] A move to Milton Keynes has been unsuccessfully proposed several times, most notably in the 1980s.[70] A planning application for a new ground, the Kohlerdome proposed by chairman David Kohler in 1995, was turned down by the Secretary of State in 1998, and Kohler left soon after.[71] Most recently, in 2007, the club's owners proposed a controversial plan to relocate to a site near Junction 12 of the M1 motorway, near Harlington and Toddington. A planning application was made on the club's behalf by former chairman Cliff Bassett, but the application was withdrawn almost immediately following the club's takeover in 2008. As of 2009, the club is undertaking an independent feasibility study to determine a viable location to move to, although redeveloping Kenilworth Road has not been ruled out.[2][72][73][74][75]

Supporters and rivalries

Luton Town is well supported in comparison to other clubs in its league, with an average home attendance of 6,019 in 2008–09.[A] Average attendances at Kenilworth Road have fallen since the installation of seats and the club's reduction in stature, dropping from 13,452 in 1982–83 to their present level – a slump of 55% over 26 years.[76] The club has two major supporters' groups – the official Luton Town Supporters Club and the breakaway Loyal Luton Supporters Club.[77][78] There also exists a Supporters' Trust, affiliated with both clubs, called Trust in Luton, an Industrial and Provident Society which owns shares in the club and elects a representative to the club's board.[79][80] The Luton Town MIGs are the hooligan firm associated with the club.[81][82]

The club produces an official match programme for home games, called Talk of the Town.[83] There is also a free fanzine distributed by the local press called Half-time Orange, launched at the start of the 2007–08 season with 10 issues per season.[84] The club mascot is a character known as Happy Harry, who appears on the pitch before matches.[85]

Luton Town supporters maintain a bitter rivalry with Hertfordshire-based Watford.[86][87][88] Luton holds the superior record in the fixture between the two clubs; out of 118 competitive first class matches there have been 53 Luton victories and 36 for Watford, with 29 draws. A survey taken in 2003 showed that there was also animosity between Luton Town fans and those of west London club Queens Park Rangers.[86]

Records and statistics

See accompanying text
Luton Town's progress through the English football league system since 1885
Horizontal black lines represent league divisions

The record for the most appearances for Luton is held by Bob Morton, who turned out for Luton 562 times in all competitions.[89] Morton also holds the record for the most Football League appearances for the club, with 495.[89] Fred Hawkes holds the record for the most league appearances for Luton, having played in 509 league matches.[90] Six players, Gordon Turner, Andy Rennie, Brian Stein, Ernie Simms, Herbert Moody and Steve Howard, have scored more than 100 goals for Luton.[91][92][93][94]

The first player to be capped while playing for Luton was left winger Robert Hawkes, who took to the field for England against Ireland at Goodison Park on 16 February 1907.[10] The most capped player is Mal Donaghy, who earned 58 Northern Ireland caps while at the club.[95] The first player to score in an international match was Joe Payne, who scored twice in his only game for England against Finland on 20 May 1937.[96] Payne also holds the Football League record for the most goals in a game – he hit 10 past Bristol Rovers on 13 April 1936.[20]

The club's largest wins have been a 15–0 victory over Great Yarmouth Town on 21 November 1914 in the FA Cup[97] and a 12–0 win over Bristol Rovers in the League on 13 April 1936.[98] Luton's heaviest loss was a 9–0 defeat against Small Heath in the Second Division on 12 November 1898.[98]

Luton's highest home attendances are 30,069 against Blackpool in the FA Cup on 4 March 1959[98][99] and 27,911 against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the League on 5 November 1955.[100] Both records will almost certainly stand until the club relocates to a larger ground, as Kenilworth Road's present capacity is less than half of either of these figures.[2]

The highest transfer fee received for a Luton Town player is the £3 million West Bromwich Albion paid for Curtis Davies on 31 August 2005.[101] The most expensive player Luton Town have ever bought was Lars Elstrup, who cost £850,000 from Odense Boldklub on 21 August 1989.[98]

Players

As of 5 September 2010[102]

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 England GK Mark Tyler
2 England DF Dan Gleeson
3 Republic of Ireland DF Fred Murray
4 Republic of Ireland MF Keith Keane (vice-captain)
6 England DF George Pilkington (captain)
7 Saint Kitts and Nevis MF Adam Newton
9 England FW Matthew Barnes-Homer
10 Kenya FW Taiwo Atieno
11 England MF Andy Drury
12 England DF Shane Blackett
13 Czech Republic DF Zdeněk Kroča
14 England MF Adam Murray
15 England DF Jake Howells
No. Position Player
16 England DF Ed Asafu-Adjaye
17 Czech Republic MF Pavel Besta
18 France MF Claude Gnakpa
19 England FW Danny Crow
20 England FW Kevin Gallen
24 England DF Alex Lacey
25 England MF Godfrey Poku
26 England MF Jonathan O'Donnell
27 England MF Taylor Nathaniel
28 England MF Adam Watkins
29 England MF Dan Walker
30 England GK Kevin Pilkington
31 England FW Jordan Patrick

The club also fields a reserve team and a youth team at Under-18 level.[103][104] A Centre of Excellence is run by the club for both boys and girls in the Under-9 to Under-16 age groups.[105][106]

Notable former players

Backroom staff

A portrait photograph of a white-skinned, bald, middle-aged man wearing a black suit, white shirt and black tie.
Richard Money has been the manager of Luton Town since October 2009.
As of 20 July 2010.[107]

Directors

Management

Managers

As of 15 April 2010. Only managers in charge for a minimum of 50 competitive matches are counted.[108][109][110]
Name Nationality From To Matches Won Drawn Lost Win %
McCartney, JohnJohn McCartney Scotland Scottish 01927-09-14 14 September 1927 01929-12-21 21 December 1929 &0000000000000151000000151 &000000000000005700000057 &000000000000003800000038 &000000000000005600000056 &000000000000003770000037.7
Kay, GeorgeGeorge Kay England English 01929-12-23 23 December 1929 01931-05-13 13 May 1931 &000000000000007100000071 &000000000000002900000029 &000000000000001600000016 &000000000000002600000026 &000000000000004079999940.8
Wightman, HaroldHarold Wightman England English 01931-06-01 1 June 1931 01935-10-09 9 October 1935 &0000000000000198000000198 &000000000000008500000085 &000000000000004900000049 &000000000000006400000064 &000000000000004289999942.9
Liddell, NedNed Liddell England English 01936-08-13 13 August 1936 01938-02-26 26 February 1938 &000000000000007900000079 &000000000000004200000042 &000000000000001100000011 &000000000000002600000026 &000000000000005320000053.2
Duncan, DallyDally Duncan Scotland Scottish 01947-06-13 13 June 1947 01958-10-16 16 October 1958 &0000000000000503000000503 &0000000000000192000000192 &0000000000000133000000133 &0000000000000178000000178 &000000000000003810000038.1
Bartram, SamSam Bartram England English 01960-07-18 18 July 1960 01962-06-14 14 June 1962 &000000000000009500000095 &000000000000003500000035 &000000000000001800000018 &000000000000004200000042 &000000000000003679999936.8
Harvey, BillBill Harvey England English 01962-07-24 24 July 1962 01964-11-21 21 November 1964 &0000000000000121000000121 &000000000000003700000037 &000000000000002600000026 &000000000000005800000058 &000000000000003060000030.6
Martin, GeorgeGeorge Martin Scotland Scottish 01965-02-16 16 February 1965 01966-11-03 3 November 1966 &000000000000008200000082 &000000000000003400000034 &000000000000001600000016 &000000000000003200000032 &000000000000004150000041.5
Brown, AllanAllan Brown Scotland Scottish 01966-11-04 4 November 1966 01968-12-17 17 December 1968 &0000000000000111000000111 &000000000000005600000056 &000000000000002400000024 &000000000000003100000031 &000000000000005050000050.5
Stock, AlecAlec Stock England English 01968-12-20 20 December 1968 01972-04-27 27 April 1972 &0000000000000172000000172 &000000000000007100000071 &000000000000005600000056 &000000000000004500000045 &000000000000004129999941.3
Haslam, HarryHarry Haslam England English 01972-05-04 4 May 1972 01978-01-23 23 January 1978 &0000000000000275000000275 &0000000000000110000000110 &000000000000006900000069 &000000000000009600000096 &000000000000004000000040.0
Pleat, DavidDavid Pleat England English 01978-01-24 24 January 1978 01986-05-16 16 May 1986 &0000000000000393000000393 &0000000000000158000000158 &0000000000000108000000108 &0000000000000127000000127 &000000000000004020000040.2
Harford, RayRay Harford England English 01987-06-16 16 June 1987 01990-01-03 3 January 1990 &0000000000000133000000133 &000000000000005100000051 &000000000000003400000034 &000000000000004800000048 &000000000000003829999938.3
Ryan, JimJim Ryan Scotland Scottish 01990-01-11 11 January 1990 01991-05-13 13 May 1991 &000000000000006300000063 &000000000000001800000018 &000000000000001600000016 &000000000000002900000029 &000000000000002860000028.6
Pleat, DavidDavid Pleat England English 01991-06-07 7 June 1991 01995-06-11 11 June 1995 &0000000000000207000000207 &000000000000005500000055 &000000000000007000000070 &000000000000008200000082 &000000000000002650000026.5
Lawrence, LennieLennie Lawrence England English 01995-12-21 21 December 1995 02000-07-04 4 July 2000 &0000000000000250000000250 &000000000000009000000090 &000000000000006600000066 &000000000000009400000094 &000000000000003600000036.0
Kinnear, JoeJoe Kinnear Republic of Ireland Irish 02001-02-08 8 February 2001 02003-05-23 23 May 2003 &0000000000000122000000122 &000000000000005600000056 &000000000000002800000028 &000000000000003800000038 &000000000000004589999945.9
Newell, MikeMike Newell England English 02003-06-23 23 June 2003 02007-03-15 15 March 2007 &0000000000000200000000200 &000000000000008300000083 &000000000000004900000049 &000000000000006800000068 &000000000000004150000041.5
Harford, MickMick Harford England English 02008-01-16 16 January 2008 02009-10-01 1 October 2009 &000000000000009100000091 &000000000000002500000025 &000000000000002900000029 &000000000000003700000037 &000000000000002750000027.5

Honours

Luton Town's major honours are detailed below. For a list of all club honours, see List of Luton Town F.C. records and statistics#Honours and achievements.[4]
Honour Year(s)
Football League Second Division champions 1981–82
runners-up 1954–55, 1973–74
Football League Third Division / Football League One[B] champions 1936–37 (South), 2004–05
runners-up 1935–36 (South), 1969–70
Football League Fourth Division / Football League Third Division[B][C] champions 1967–68
runners-up 2001–02
Conference National runners-up 2009–10
FA Cup runners-up 1958–59
League Cup winners 1987–88
runners-up 1988–89
Full Members Cup runners-up 1987–88
Football League Trophy winners 2008–09

Footnotes

A. ^ Calculated by adding together all the home league attendances for the 2008–09 season to calculate the total attendance (138,443) and then dividing by the number of home league matches (23) to reach an average of 6,019.3, rounded down to 6,019. Attendances taken from Luton Town programme Hatters from 25 April 2009 and BBC report for match that day.[111][112]
B. ^ Before the start of the 2004–05 season, Football League re-branding saw the First Division become the Football League Championship. The Second and Third Divisions became Leagues One and Two, respectively.
C. ^ On its formation for the 1992–93 season, the FA Premier League became the top tier of English football; the First, Second and Third Divisions then became the second, third and fourth tiers, respectively.

References

Notes
  1. ↑ ""Luton Town's Official Matchday Programme"". lutontown (Luton Town F.C.). 2007-04-14. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "J12 Stadium — illustrative financial projections" (PDF). South Bedfordshire Council. http://www.southbeds.gov.uk/Images/Goodman%20-%20J12%20Stadium%20Illustrative%20Financial%20Projections1_tcm6-23567.pdf. Retrieved 2009-05-20. 
  3. ↑ "Interest grows on Money". Luton Town F.C.. 2009-10-30. http://www.lutontown.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10372~1842164,00.html. Retrieved 2009-10-30. 
  4. ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 Rundle, Richard. "Football Club History Database - Luton Town". Football Club History Database. Archived from the original on May 29, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080529205257/http://www.fchd.info/LUTONT.HTM. Retrieved 2009-04-29. 
  5. ↑ Collings (1985). pp. 1–2. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Hayes (2002). p. 55. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 Hayes (2002). p. 43. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Collings (1985). pp. 3–4. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Collings (1985). pp. 11–13. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "England 1 - Ireland 0". England Stats. http://www.englandstats.com/matchreport.php?mid=89. Retrieved 2009-04-10. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Hayes (2002). p. 156. 
  12. ↑ Collings (1985). pp. 22–26. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Bailey (1997). p. 8. 
  14. ↑ Collings (1985). pp. 26–27. 
  15. ↑ 15.00 15.01 15.02 15.03 15.04 15.05 15.06 15.07 15.08 15.09 15.10 15.11 15.12 15.13 15.14 15.15 15.16 "Historical Kits Luton Town". Historical Kits. http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Luton_Town/Luton_Town.htm. Retrieved 2009-04-10. 
  16. ↑ "Ireland 1 - 1 England". The Football Association. http://www.thefa.com/England/MensSeniorTeam/Archive.aspx?x=127. Retrieved 2009-04-12. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Collings (1985). p. 27. 
  18. ↑ Bailey (1997). pp. 92–97. 
  19. ↑ Collings (1985). pp. 46–50. 
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 "The Football League Goal Records". The Football League. http://www.football-league.co.uk/page/Goals/0,,10794~634862,00.html. Retrieved 2009-04-10. 
  21. ↑ Collings (1985). pp. 74–75. 
  22. ↑ Hayes (2002). p. 41. 
  23. ↑ Hayes (2002). pp. 176–177. 
  24. ↑ Hayes (2002). pp. 114–115. 
  25. ↑ Hayes (2002). p. 130. 
  26. ↑ Hayes (2002). pp. 10–11. 
  27. ↑ Hayes (2002). p. 168. 
  28. ↑ Hayes (2002). pp. 41–42. 
  29. ↑ Hayes (2002). pp. 1–2. 
  30. ↑ Hayes (2002). p. 31. 
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 31.2 Collings (1985). pp. 70–74. 
  32. ↑ Collings (1985). pp. 78–82. 
  33. ↑ "England Player Honours – Football Writers' Association Footballers of the Year". England Football Online. 2007-06-19. http://www.englandfootballonline.com/TeamHons/HonsFWAFbYr.html. Retrieved 2009-05-13. 
  34. ↑ Collings (1985). pp. 95–98. 
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 Collings (1985). pp. 108–111. 
  36. ↑ "Luton Town 1974–1975 : Home". Statto. http://www.statto.com/football/teams/luton-town/1974-1975. Retrieved 2009-06-24. 
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 Bevan, Chris (2003-05-03). "Classic matches at Maine Road". BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_city/3011383.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-24. 
  38. ↑ "1974–1985". Luton Town F.C.. 2005-02-10. http://www.lutontown.co.uk/page/ClubHistory/0,,10372~61680,00.html. Retrieved 2009-06-24. "Visions of David Pleat skipping across the...turf...remain some of television's enduring images." 
  39. ↑ "Luton Town 1986–1987 : Home". Statto. http://www.statto.com/football/teams/luton-town/1986-1987. Retrieved 2009-06-24. 
  40. ↑ "1985–1988". Luton Town F.C.. 2007-05-24. http://www.lutontown.co.uk/page/ClubHistory/0,,10372~61680,00.html. Retrieved 2009-06-24. "A last-minute strike from Brian Stein saw [Luton] Town finally overcome Arsenal 3–2 at Wembley in a see-saw thriller in which Arsenal, leading 2–1, were awarded a penalty, which was brilliantly saved by Andy Dibble, before [Luton] Town came storming back, leading to skipper Steve Foster lifting the Littlewoods Cup." 
  41. ↑ Lamont, Tom (2008-04-06). "Frozen in time … Luton Town win the League Cup, 24 April 1988". The Observer (London: Guardian News and Media). http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/apr/06/newsstory.sport. Retrieved 2009-06-24. "Arsenal led 2–1 with 10 minutes left when Andy Dibble, Luton's reserve keeper, saved a Nigel Winterburn penalty … This equaliser was scrambled in [when] Brian [Stein] hit the ball across the face of the box. Danny Wilson nodded it in. In the final minute, Brian Stein's close-range volley snatched victory." 
  42. ↑ "Winners and Losers". The Independent (London: Independent News & Media). 1996-05-06. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/winners-and-losers-1345871.html. Retrieved 2009-05-13. 
  43. ↑ Haylett, Trevor (2001-04-25). "Rotherham on the rise as Luton fall". The Independent (London: Independent News & Media). http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/football-league/rotherham-on-the-rise-as-luton-fall-682572.html. Retrieved 2009-05-13. 
  44. ↑ "Kinnear heads for the Hatters". The Independent (London: Independent News & Media). 2001-02-08. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/football-league/kinnear-heads-for-the-hatters-690849.html. Retrieved 2009-05-13. 
  45. ↑ 45.0 45.1 45.2 45.3 "Trouble at the Top: Luton Kicks Off". BBC. 2007-04-02. http://www.bbc.co.uk/threecounties/content/articles/2004/10/26/trouble_at_the_top_feature.shtml. Retrieved 2009-06-25. 
  46. ↑ Harrison, Lindsay (2003-05-24). "Kinnear parts company with Luton". The Independent (London: Independent News & Media). http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/football-league/kinnear-parts-company-with-luton-591034.html. Retrieved 2009-05-13. 
  47. ↑ "Luton pick Newell". The Daily Telegraph (London: Telegraph Media Group). 2003-06-23. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2406488/Luton-pick-Newell.html. Retrieved 2009-05-13. 
  48. ↑ Brown, Geoff (2005-05-01). "Round-up : Coventry end with demolition Derby". The Independent (London: Independent News & Media). http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/football-league/roundup--coventry-end-with-demolition-derby-489784.html. Retrieved 2009-05-13. 
  49. ↑ "Luton Town appoint new manager". BBC. 2007-04-02. http://www.bbc.co.uk/threecounties/content/articles/2007/03/27/luton_town_new_manager_feature.shtml. Retrieved 2009-05-13. 
  50. ↑ Hodges, Vicki; Caroe, Charlie (2008-01-16). "Mick Harford replaces Kevin Blackwell at Luton". The Daily Telegraph (London: Telegraph Media Group). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2289140/Mick-Harford-replaces-Kevin-Blackwell-at-Luton.html. Retrieved 2009-04-29. 
  51. ↑ "Luton Town 2006–2007 : Home". Statto. http://www.statto.com/football/teams/luton-town/2006-2007. Retrieved 2009-06-24. 
  52. ↑ Solhekol, Kaveh (2008-07-16). "Luton Town lose appeal against points deduction". The Times (London: Times Newspapers). http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/football_league/article4340138.ece. Retrieved 2008-07-17. 
  53. ↑ "Luton 0-0 Chesterfield". BBC. 2009-04-13. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_3/7979729.stm. Retrieved 2009-04-13. 
  54. ↑ Fletcher, Paul (2009-04-05). "Luton 3-2 Scunthorpe (aet)". BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/7975143.stm. Retrieved 2009-04-06. 
  55. ↑ "A history hat making in Luton". Plaiting and Straw Hat Making. Luton Libraries. http://www.galaxy.bedfordshire.gov.uk/webingres/luton/0.local/hat_plaiting.htm. Retrieved 2008-06-18. 
  56. ↑ "The Origins of Luton's Hat Industry". Plaiting and Straw Hat Making. Luton Libraries. http://www.galaxy.bedfordshire.gov.uk/webingres/luton/0.local/hat_origins_industry.htm. Retrieved 2009-05-19. 
  57. ↑ Hayes (2002). p. 123. 
  58. ↑ "One Day to Go!!". Luton Town F.C.. http://www.lutontown.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10372~1372290,00.html. Retrieved 2008-10-10. 
  59. ↑ "Luton Town F.C. Home/Away". Luton Town F.C.. 2009-07-27. http://www.lutontown.co.uk/staticFiles/3d/3b/0,,10372~146237,00.pdf. Retrieved 2009-07-28. 
  60. ↑ "Revealed:The New Crest". Luton Town F.C.. 2009-07-28. http://www.lutontown.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10372~1735608,00.html. Retrieved 2009-07-28. 
  61. ↑ UK CPI inflation numbers based on data available from Measuring Worth: UK CPI.
  62. ↑ "Luton sign £50,000 deal". Luton Town (Luton Town F.C.). 1980-03-01. 
  63. ↑ "Revealed:The New Sponsors". Luton Town F.C.. 2009-07-28. http://www.lutontown.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10372~1735654,00.html. Retrieved 2009-07-28. 
  64. ↑ 64.0 64.1 64.2 64.3 "Kenilworth Stadium". Luton Town F.C.. http://www.lutontown.co.uk/page/KenilworthStadium/0,,10372,00.html. Retrieved 2009-05-08. 
  65. ↑ "Unlucky Luton, a reminder of football’s forgotten days". Liverpool Daily Post (Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales). 2009-04-17. http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/sport/liverpool-football/2009/04/17/sean-mcguire-unlucky-luton-a-reminder-of-football-s-forgotten-days-92534-23405017/. Retrieved 2009-05-08. 
  66. ↑ Lawton, Graham (2005-06-04). "Pitch battle over artificial grass". New Scientist (2502): 35. http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg18625021.300. Retrieved 2008-01-11. 
  67. ↑ Davies, Christopher (2004-05-21). "Millwall hopes to leave dark history behind in F.A. Cup final". The Japan Times. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/sp20040521cd.htm. Retrieved 2008-03-26. 
  68. ↑ "Luton may end its ban on supporters". The Times (Times Newspapers). 1990-05-24. 
  69. ↑ "Uefa approves artificial pitches". BBC. 2004-11-10. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/4000885.stm. Retrieved 2008-03-26. 
  70. ↑ "Luton Town 1 MK Dons 0". When Saturday Comes. June 2005. http://www.wsc.co.uk/content/view/1623/29/. Retrieved 2009-04-11. 
  71. ↑ Bose, Mihir (1994-10-23). "Luton chairman ready for a stretch inside". The Sunday Times (Times Newspapers): 22. 
  72. ↑ "J12 stadium plans run into problems". Luton & Dunstable Express (Local Sunday Newspapers). http://www.ldexpress.co.uk/ldexpress-sport-lutontownfc/displayarticle.asp?id=302524. Retrieved 2009-04-11. 
  73. ↑ "Junction 12 application withdrawn". Luton Town F.C.. http://www.lutontown.co.uk/page/Stadium/. Retrieved 2009-04-11. 
  74. ↑ "Luton stadium plan 'unaffordable'". BBC. 2009-02-23. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/luton_town/7905615.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-11. 
  75. ↑ "Chapter 9 - Action Areas". Luton Borough Council. http://www2.luton.gov.uk/localplan/written/cpt9.htm. Retrieved 2009-05-11. 
  76. ↑ Bailey (1997). pp. 70. 
  77. ↑ "Luton Town Supporters Club". Luton Town Supporters Club. Archived from the original on February 03, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080203113147/http://www.lutontownsc.co.uk/aboutus.asp. Retrieved 2008-05-11. 
  78. ↑ "Loyal Luton Supporters Club". Loyal Luton Supporters Club. http://www.loyalluton.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=39. Retrieved 2008-05-11. 
  79. ↑ "Trust in Luton - Working with others". Loyal Luton Supporters Club. http://www.loyalluton.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=130&Itemid=102. Retrieved 2009-04-22. 
  80. ↑ "Trust in Luton". Trust in Luton. Archived from the original on August 22, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080822063742/http://trustinluton.org/default.aspx. Retrieved 2008-05-11. 
  81. ↑ "Revenge for Millwall riot". Herald & Post (Johnston Press). 2000-03-15. http://www.lutontoday.co.uk/545/REVENGE-FOR-MILLWALL-RIOT.284315.jp. Retrieved 2007-09-01. 
  82. ↑ Booth, Jenny (2001-11-04). "Luton: a town pulled apart by extremism". The Daily Telegraph (London: Telegraph Media Group). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1361445/Luton-a-town-pulled-apart-by-extremism.html. Retrieved 2007-09-01. 
  83. ↑ ""Luton Town Official Matchday Programme"". Talk of the Town (Luton Town F.C.). 2009-08-11. 
  84. ↑ "Half-time Orange". The Luton News (Johnston Press). http://www2.lutontoday.co.uk/fanzine/latest/. Retrieved 2009-05-08. 
  85. ↑ "Happy Harry is Kidnapped". Luton Town F.C.. http://www.lutontown.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10372~1278911,00.html. Retrieved 2009-05-08. 
  86. ↑ 86.0 86.1 "Rivalry uncovered" (PDF). Football Fans Census. December 2003. http://www.footballfanscensus.com/issueresults/Club_Rivalries_Uncovered_Results.pdf. Retrieved 3 April 2009. 
  87. ↑ "Motorway madness". When Saturday Comes. November 2005. http://www.wsc.co.uk/content/view/1487/29/. Retrieved 3 April 2009. 
  88. ↑ "Herts rule Beds". When Saturday Comes. March 2002. http://www.wsc.co.uk/content/view/2944/29/. Retrieved 3 April 2009. 
  89. ↑ 89.0 89.1 Bailey (1997). pp. 6, 97. 
  90. ↑ Collings (1985). pp. 196–197. 
  91. ↑ Bailey (1997). pp. 6, 90–91, 97, 99–100. 
  92. ↑ Hayes (2002). p. 111. 
  93. ↑ Collings (1985). p. 205, 312–313, 315–317. 
  94. ↑ "Steve Howard". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=3653. Retrieved 2009-05-29. 
  95. ↑ "Mal Donaghy". Fédération Internationale de Football Association. http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/statisticsandrecords/players/player=48672/index.html. Retrieved 2009-05-13. 
  96. ↑ "Finland 0 - England 8". England Stats. http://www.englandstats.com/matchreport.php?mid=211. Retrieved 2009-06-10. 
  97. ↑ Bailey (1997). p. 91. 
  98. ↑ 98.0 98.1 98.2 98.3 "Luton Town all time records". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. http://www.soccerbase.com/team_records.sd?teamid=1628. Retrieved 2009-04-06. 
  99. ↑ Bailey (1997). p. 46. 
  100. ↑ Bailey (1997). p. 43. 
  101. ↑ "West Brom snap up defender Davies". BBC. 2005-09-01. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/west_bromwich_albion/4203324.stm. Retrieved 2009-04-06. 
  102. ↑ "First Team". Luton Town F.C.. http://www.lutontown.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10372,00.html. Retrieved 2009-05-03. 
  103. ↑ "Reserve Fixtures". Luton Town F.C.. http://www.lutontown.co.uk/page/ReservesIndex/0,,10372,00.html. Retrieved 2009-05-19. 
  104. ↑ "Youth Fixtures". Luton Town F.C.. http://www.lutontown.co.uk/page/Youth/0,,10372~1340193,00.html. Retrieved 2009-05-05. 
  105. ↑ "Boys' Centre of Excellence". Luton Town F.C.. http://www.lutontown.co.uk/page/BoysCentreOfExcellenceIndex/0,,10372,00.html. Retrieved 2009-10-10. 
  106. ↑ "Girls' Centre of Excellence". Luton Town F.C.. http://www.lutontown.co.uk/page/GirlsCentreofExcellenceIndex/0,,10372,00.html. Retrieved 2009-10-10. 
  107. ↑ "Kenilworth Road roll call". Luton Town F.C.. 2009-05-02. http://www.lutontown.co.uk/page/WhosWho/0,,10372,00.html. Retrieved 2009-05-03. 
  108. ↑ "Manager History for Luton Town". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. http://www.soccerbase.com/manager_history.sd?teamid=1628. Retrieved 2009-04-21. 
  109. ↑ Bailey (1997). pp. 19–101. 
  110. ↑ Collings (1985). pp. 244–245. 
  111. ↑ ""Stats 08/09"". Hatters (Luton Town F.C.): 64. 2009-04-25. 
  112. ↑ "Luton 1-1 Rochdale". BBC. 2009-04-25. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_3/8002144.stm. Retrieved 2009-06-05. 
Bibliography
  • Bailey, Steve (December 1997). The Definitive Luton Town F.C.. Nottingham: Soccerdata. ISBN 1899468102. 
  • Collings, Timothy (1985). The Luton Town Story 1885–1985. Luton: Luton Town F.C.. ISBN 1-951067-90-7. 
  • Hayes, Dean P. (November 2002). Completely Top Hatters!. Dunstable: The Book Castle. ISBN 1903747279. 

External links

Luton Town Football Club
The Club
Players • Managers • Seasons • Records • League record by opponent
History
1885 to 1970 • 1970 to present
Grounds
Dallow Lane • Dunstable Road • Kenilworth Road (1985 riot) • Milton Keynes relocation proposals
Supporters
Watford rivalry • The MIGs
Conference National 2010–11
AFC Wimbledon · Altrincham · Barrow · Bath City · Cambridge United · Crawley Town · Darlington · Eastbourne Borough · Fleetwood Town · Forest Green Rovers · Gateshead · Grimsby Town · Hayes & Yeading United · Histon · Kettering Town · Kidderminster Harriers · Luton Town · Mansfield Town · Newport County · Rushden & Diamonds · Southport · Tamworth · Wrexham · York City
Football in England
The Football Association
National teams
England · B · C · U-21 · U-20 · U-19 · U-18 · U-17 · U-16
National Football Centre
St George's Park (Burton)
League system
Premier League · The Football League (Championship • League One • League Two) · Football Conference (National • North • South) · Northern Premier (Premier Division • Division One North • Division One South) · Southern League (Premier Division • Division One Central • Division One South & West) · Isthmian League (Premier Division • Division One North • Division One South)
Domestic cups
FA Cup · Football League Cup · FA Community Shield · Football League Trophy · FA Trophy · Conference League Cup · FA Vase · FA NLS Cup ·
Others
Masters Football
List of clubs · Current managers · Venues (Listed by capacity) · Competitions · Trophies and Awards · History · Records
Former Football League clubs
Aberdare Athletic (1921–27) · Accrington (1888–93) · Accrington Stanley (1921–62) · Aldershot (1932–92) · Ashington (1921–29) · Barrow (1921–72) · Bootle (1892–93) · Boston United (2002–07) · Bradford Park Avenue (1908–70) · Burton Swifts (1892–01) · Burton United (1901–07) · Burton Wanderers (1894–97) · Cambridge United (1970–2005) · Chester City (1931–2000, 2004–2009) · Darlington (1921–89, 1990–2010) · Darwen (1891–99) · Durham City (1921–28) · Gainsborough Trinity (1896–1912) · Gateshead (1930–60) · Glossop North End (1898–1915) · Grimsby Town (1892–1910, 1911–2010) · Halifax Town (1921–1993, 1998–2002) · Kidderminster Harriers (2000–05) · Leeds City (1905–19) · Loughborough (1895–1900) · Luton Town (1897–1900, 1920–2009) · Maidstone United (1989–92) · Mansfield Town (1931–2008) · Merthyr Town (1920–30) · Middlesbrough Ironopolis (1893–94) · Nelson (1921–31) · New Brighton (1923–51) · New Brighton Tower (1898–1901) · Newport County (1920–31, 1932–88) · Northwich Victoria (1892–94) · Rotherham County (1919–25) · Rotherham Town (1893–96) · Rushden & Diamonds (2001–06) · Scarborough (1987–99) · South Shields (1919–30) · Southport (1921–78) · Stalybridge Celtic (1921–23) · Thames (1930–32) · Wigan Borough (1921–31) · Wimbledon (1977–2004) · Workington (1951–77) · Wrexham (1921–2008) · York City (1929–2004)